| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Coolwind
Moderator
Italy
7451 Posts |
 Posted - 07/06/2012 : 19:16:26
|
http://www.bware.it/LK8000/LK8000-310E-UPGRADE.ZIP
We are getting near the end of 3.1 serie, which is going to be 3.2 soon. This version has many important fixes and improvements, plus it has the new flarm radar entirely made by Ulli "AlphaLima".
In the pic above, you can see some "dots" that are representing vario trace of each object. THIS FEATURE IS DISABLED in 3.1e, we are still working on it.
The radar is a combined view of top and sideview of objects.
There are 4 subpages available, and everything is really easy to use.
See the manual addendum following here.
The Radar in LK is NOT about warnings and safety. If you are in danger for a collision, you should NOT look at the radar: look outside!
One important optimization in 3.1e is about SPEED processing many thousand waypoints, expecially when you have a lot of landing fields.
Now the software is much faster and responsive in changing the pages, very fast!, and a mio400 with 8000 waypoints is simply faster than ever.
See the list of changes and fixes. One more thing is about LX MiniMap.
Starting from now, the MiniMap is integrated permanently in the LK development. LX Nav is supporting actively LK8000 , and many good things will come up in the next weeks.
LK8000 VERSION 3.1e 120607
==========================
NEW
. Page 4.4 Flarm Radar, see docs.
. Add customkey for Flarm Radar
It will toggle between Map and Flarm Radar, and back to Map.
. Preliminar full support for LX MiniMap
CHANGES
. Extend Acknowledge time for airspaces from 120 seconds to 720 seconds (12 hours).
. Enhancement for dual feed com ports: if no valid fix on any port, we use the first port with
at least some data going through!
This will keep probably at least the time updated since the gps may still be receiving a
valid time, which is good for us.
. Flarm objects on map are now using the same color schemes of flarm radar
FIXES
. Fix 3.1d bug not converting vector altitude to user unit
. Fix TrueWind IAS configuration and Max Speed in aircraft configuration, not keeping some values.
. Fix small bug terrain shading option: changing terrain with shading off would not allow us
to enable shading again.
. Fix airspace selection in pan mode no more working since september 13 2011
. CAI302 task declaration fixed
. Fix vector waypoint overwriting task lines.
Task is drawn after waypoints now.
. Fix old bug not calculating terrain reachable (and displaying orange arrival altitude on overlay)
when a turnpoint not landable was assigned as alternate destination.
. Fix Nearest turnpoint page 2.3 not checking correctly terrain reachable,
appearing almost always negative (red)
. Fix old bug in 3.0 wrong upper zone for nearest page: the zone for pulling up cursor selection
of nearest pages was too tight.
. Fix old bug in 3.0 overcalculating reachability for landables.
Even landables with negative arrival altitudes were checked for terrain
obstacles, resulting in a abnormal number of calculations (hidden by multicalc optimization).
LK performance is greatly improved now, when using a lot of landable waypoints (many thousands).
. Fix infobox values for task (arrival, ETE, eta, etc) should display --- when task was not started yet.
. Fix bug resetting FlarmNet counter on startup
. Fix Flarm declaration: in case of an error it could happen to define twice a waypoint.
FLARM RADAR
-----------
The Radar page works similar to the well-known Butterfly displays and it's derivates, but has some more features:
-sideview to the see the vertical distances at a glance
-colored scheme to see the climb rates at a glance
-labels and climb rates of “all” FLARM objects
-different shapes for ghosts and zombies
-direct "link line" to target object
Zoom works like in normal map from 1km..100km, clicking in the upper third of the display zooms the scale, clicking in the lower third unzooms the scale.
Press on center (enter) will switch between 4 different Radar screens (RDR.x), optimized for different screen modes (landscape and portrait):
RDR.1
Glider position left of center, heading to the right screen position, to see more space in front. (for landscape)
RDR.2
Glider position center, heading to top of the screen. (for protrait)
RDR.3
Same as RDR.2 but without the sideview diagram for maximum top view (similar to Butterfly displays)
RDR.4
glider position center heading to right side of the screen. (for landscape)
Colors scheme to indicate the current climb rates (30s integral):
dark blue: vario < -1,5m/s
blue: vario < 0.5m/s
yellow: -0.5m/s <= vario <= 0.5m/s
green: vario > 0.5m/s
light green: vario > 1.5m/s
Shapes:
arrow: active Flarm object
square: zombie
dot: ghost
Target:
If a FLARM target object is selected it will be connected with a straight line between own and the target position.
CUSTOM MENU
-----------
Calling menu, on first page a new button is replacing the old TrueWind button.
This is the Custom Menu button. Click on it, and you can find up to 10 menu buttons, plus the Cancel.
By default, some of these buttons are already preassigned. For example, TrueWind Calc, Lock Screen etc.
To configure the Custom Menu, enter System Setup and go to page 10, Interface.
There is a new button for Configure Custom Menu.
Each item can be assigned a custom key, or be Disabled.
The Custom Menu is itself available also as a custom key!
This means that you can assign Custom Menu recall from a custom key, like for example top right.
When you click top right, you would recall the custom menu.
SCREEN ROTATION IN LK8000
-------------------------
LK8000 3.2 detects automatically if the screen has been rotated or changed in resolution, and it will
reconfigure itself for the new state. It will only adapt for supported resolutions, of course.
This is totally automatic, and nothing has to be configured. For example, on an HX4700 PPC you can use an hardware key to force screen rotation from portrait to landscape and vice-versa.
LK will immediately adapt to the new orientation.
A menu has been added to force screen resize or rotation, in order to let LK adapt.
Click on Menu, Config 1/3. A new button is called SCREEN MODES.
Screen Modes menu is different for PC and PDA/PNA versions, because functionalities can be different for them.
Screen Modes for PC
Allows you to change to some resolution as 480x272, 640x480 etc., and to Turn Screen (landscape/portrait) using the current resolution.
For example you can change to 320x240, like on a small PNA, and then Turn Screen to get into 240x320 portait mode.
Screen modes for PNA and PPC
On PNA and PPC devices, you have only two buttons for Screen Modes:
Turn 90 degrees
Turn 180 degrees
Do you want to invert upside/down the screen? Use Turn 180. And do it again to go back to previous state.
To rotate by 270 degrees you can either turn 90 for 3 times, or turn 180 and the turn 90.
Notice:
1. On exit LK will NOT turn screen automatically, nor does it on startup.
Screen rotation is totally manual operation.
2. Screen rotation must be supported by the PNA/PPC hardware and operating system.
Some devices cannot rotate the screen. Some other can do it only by adding unsupported unofficial
rotating drivers by third parties.
LK is simply asking to the operating system to rotate the screen. If nothing happens, there is nothing
we can do about it. We dont support hardware patches, nor external rotating drivers.
3. Although it is possible to rotate the screen also while moving/flying, it is NOT wise to do so.
During screen rotation the software will stop internally for a couple of seconds.
4. Custom fonts are always shared among all screen resolutions/orientations, be careful.
There is only 1 custom fonts configuration, and this will be used (if used) for all orientations.
Expecially on PC this can be confusing, because if you have configured a custom font perfect for
800x480 and then you change to 320x240 you can imagine the result: fonts are not rescaled!
Screen Rotation is still experimental.
ENHANCED PROFILE SETUP
----------------------
From Menu, Config 2/3, LK8000 Setup you enter a new menu, with 6 buttons:
. System Setup, System Save
. Aircraft Setup, Aircraft Save
. Pilot Setup, Pilot Save
Aircraft and Pilot configurations have been exported from the old configuration setup
and they are now independent items.
LXnav V7 support
----------------
IMPORTANT Note: The driver need a V7 firmware 1.98 or higher. It can be found here
http://www.lxnav.com/download/firmware.html
The LXnav V7 instrument has the ability to be controlled by a PDA.
Since the V7 is compatible to the older LX instruments, you can use the common LX drivers (LX, LX16xx). Thanks to LXnav we developed an additional commandset in oder to fully support the V7.
In order to use the full functionality of the V7 we recommend to use the LXV7driver, which gives the additional information to LK8000
-Outside air temperature
-External battery voltage
-Status of the Vario/STF switch
-XYZ accelometer values
The values for McReady, Ballast and Bug's (Efficiency) can be entered either be adjusted on the V7 both will have the same values after a few seconds.
One big advantage is, that the Auto McReady function of LK8000 can now adjust the MC value in the V7, so that the MC Value in the V7 is updated automatically.
Another good example is the automatic ballast dump in Basic settings; once the Ballast dump is activated the changing Wingload is continuously updated automatically until the Ballast dump is stopped
To connect a V7 instrument with LK8000 you must select LXV7 as the device in setup (8 Devices) dialog.
In order to test the communication change the MC value on the V7 it should be updated in the LK8000 as well.
Now open the "Basic Settings" dialog (Menu Config / Setup Basic)
Here you can change the "Ballast" and "Efficiency" values which should be changes in the V7 as well. If you press Dump ballast, the values are changed in the V7 at the same time.
Please Note:
The update will take up to 2 seconds.
While using Auto MC it is still possible to change the MC values on the V7 for both devices. The value will be changed automatically as soon the Auto MC algorithm changes the current MC value, which may take a while depending on the history and Auto MC settings.
The status of the STF/Vario switch can be used for changing the circling cruise mode in LK8000. In order to do so you must set the Display mode to DSP auto (Menue Display 2/3 DspMode _Auto_)
Polar coefficients:
The polar coefficients of the V7 and LK8000 are independent from another. This is intended to prevent to change the instrument polar accidentally and possibly use different polar's at the same time.
Barometric Altitudes:
The V7 instruments have a pressure sensor and deliver a barometric height. If you use a GPS source with Baro altitude you can decide which one will be used in the V7 setup. Please refer to the V7 manual.
Accelometer values:
The values of the V7 XYZ Accelometer values are drawn as a red dot in the Experimental page 1.6. This dot moves like the little ball in a real TRI indicator with additional information's movements: ------Accelerations towards the nose of the plane make the dot smaller.
-Accelerations towards the tail of the plane make the dot bigger.
-Accelerations towards the top of the aircraft will move the up, the opposite down.
Please not that this in an experimental feature and may not be used for navigation purposes.
New airfield symbols since V3.1x
--------------------------------
With the Version 3.1x we introduced new airfield symbols. In order to enable it goto System Setup Page 11 and set the Appearance style from Alternate to Vector. This is now the default for LK 3.2.
The vector airfield symbols have new scalable airfield and outlanding icons with runway direction and type (dark grey = solid, white = grass).
The runway length is drawn proportional to the real length, and with correct orientation.
If an airfield is defined as glider site an, it will be marked with "white wings"
On an appropriate zoom level the radio frequency will be shown as well.
On higher zoom levels, more information such as ICAO name (if available) and altitude will be printed on the map
Like before if the runway is reachable with respect to the safety height and wind, the airfield/outlanding is green, otherwise red.
In order to use this additional information's it must be included in the waypointfile of course. We recommend to use the *.cup file format of SeeYou which is able to support this additional information. If you don't have the additional information's we recommend to use the old Alternate symbols, which is probably the best choice for paragliders and hanggliders.
Wind calculation made by external instruments requires configuration!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are using an external instrument such as a Zander, an LX, an Ilec or any other instrument that can provide wind calculation, then you need to configure LK to use this information.
You can do it permanently inside configuration, menu 5, Auto Wind should be set to "external".
Or/And you can do it during the flight, Menu, Config, Setup Wind, Auto wind set to external.
When using external wind, no calculation is performed while circling.
If for any reason you want to disable external wind during the flight, simply enter Setup Wind menu and change the setting.
If the Auto wind is not configured to "external", the wind calculated externally will be IGNORED.
USER INTERFACE CHANGES/ENHANCEMENTS
-----------------------------------
New Ungesture feature:
clicking on the already selected sort button in nearest pages will advance to next page.
Example> you select 2.1 page (APTS), there are seven pages and you read APTS 1/7 .
The page is sorted by Distance. You click on Direction, the page is sorted by Direction now.
You click again on Direction, the page is showing APTS 2/7 : you have advanced to next page like with
a gesture down.
This ungesture works also in Common and Recent pages, although they cannot be sorted by anything.
Any sort place will nevertheless advance to next page, as expected.
New engine for multiple sources of barometric altitude, with automatic fallback
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full support also of multiplexers like Westerboer, K6mux etc.
The new LK baro altitude driver can handle several concurrent baro altitude sources sending at the
same time their values.
Some multiplexers like Westerboer, K6mux, etc. will mix two sources (for example a flarm and an LX)
and send them to LK.
The new logic is: if a Flarm is connected, we use its baro altitude (if available: it is
not granted from a multiplexer).
If no flarm, we use baro altitude from internal/custom sources like Funtrek, Royaltek,
embedded drivers and devices.
Then we can select PriorityBaroSources such as devices themselves: LX, LK8EXT1 etc.
And if there is no PriorityBaroSource, we use whatever is available.
If a baro source disappears, we use automatically what is available, within a few seconds.
New Takeoff safety alarm (configuration menu Alarms)
-----------------------------------------------------
We can now select an altitude over ground at takeoff, above which an alarm will play.
For gliders, this is normally the minimal altitude needed to turn 180 degrees and go back
to the airfield in case towing is suddenly a borted.
Depending on airfields and conditions, it can be something between 50m and 100m.
It can be configured in step of 10m or 10feet, up to 500m or 500feet.
When this safe altitude is reached, a soft cabin chime sound is played,
followed by a calm voice saying "safety".
Nothing is printed on the screen. This is an aid to pilot to help them concentrate on the
towing phase during this early part of the flight, without continously look at
the altimeter to know if the safety takeoff altitude is reached.
By default this alarm is disabled, and can be disabled by setting the altitude to 0.
Remember this is a ground altitude (QFE), so if you want to be told when you are 50m above ground,
set 50, simply.
The takeoff safety sound will be armed again only after landing, and be automatically
in use again for the next takeoff.
|
|
|
Marco from Hangar 5
Aquila imperiale
Netherlands
437 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2012 : 11:11:01
|
Awesome!
Tested just a minute ago and is considerably faster responding then previous beta versions!
I will fly a competition with it this weekend (if the weather cooperates.. its bad at the moment), that FLARM radar may be very handy ;) (yes I know, it is not recommended, I will take a back up with me) |
Marco
BU (PH-588)
Mini Nimbus HS7, s/n 039
http://www.zweef.nl/
Zweefvliegclub Den Helder, NETHERLANDS |
 |
|
|
Enders13
Pulcino
United Kingdom
49 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 10:19:12
|
Thank you for fixing airspace query in pan mode, it's very useful.
The flarm stuff looks great, shame I'm a paragling pilot ;o)
Keep up the good work.
Mike. |
|
|
|
Enders13
Pulcino
United Kingdom
49 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 10:26:47
|
Hi just to let you know, running a Dell Axim X51v. In pan mode it doesn't re-draw the screen until you let go after a pan and it takes a noticeable time to re-draw once you do (fraction of a second but noticeable).
This isn't a criticism as it works fine but maybe still a bug?
Once again many thanks. |
|
|
|
Enders13
Pulcino
United Kingdom
49 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 10:47:19
|
I have also noticed, not sure if it's just 31e but re-draw on the axim takes over a second for topology, this is so far in pan mode only, not yet had a chance to fly with new version.
Mike. |
|
|
|
Coolwind
Moderator
Italy
7451 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 11:29:06
|
| The Axim is slow, change for a faster device and slow response will be halved! |
|
|
|
Marco from Hangar 5
Aquila imperiale
Netherlands
437 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 16:37:16
|
quote:
Originally posted by Marco from Hangar 5
Awesome!
Tested just a minute ago and is considerably faster responding then previous beta versions!
I will fly a competition with it this weekend (if the weather cooperates.. its bad at the moment), that FLARM radar may be very handy ;) (yes I know, it is not recommended, I will take a back up with me)
Just to let you all know..
Yesterday was unexpectedly great for gliding in the east of the Netherlands, flown a competition with LK8000 3.1E and everything works great, Flarm radar is very nice to check out where the other guys are hanging out and if they have good lift. Final glide was just perfect!
It was a grand prix style competition, where the startline opens for everybody at the same time (a so called regatta start), difference in handicaps is compensated by adjusting the beercan around the turning point, high handicapped aircraft like the Jonkers JS1 has to go all the way to the turnpoint (radius 500 meters), where guys like me with handicap 98 can turn at a larger radius of 7.1 km, so reducing the distance of the triangle considerably. See this youtube of last year how it is done:
http://youtu.be/SZV5WVxgHbE
Very fun, also for the guys on the ground, is that the first glider that passes the finish line, has won the race!.. They even flag you off with a black and white checkered flag, just like formula 1 car racing !  .. very fun to see when zooming by at 3 meters over the line. But also when on final glide with other gliders, it really becomes a race to finish first! Very spectacular! and loads of fun to do!
LK8000 is very easy to use for this, because you can set the task as AAT, and set next waypoint on automatic, so when you are in the beercan it beeps so you know to turn. By zooming out you can easily determine the best heading so you fly the least distance. I know it should be possible for LK8000 to calculate this optimum automatically, but during preperation I could not find it. I think this is a paragliding option, isn't it?.. if so maybe an idea to open this optimization for gliders as well.. But I must say the way I did it now manually works just fine.
Check it out, I am BU, Mini Nimbus, an aircraft of 33 years old.. no other nav aids then LK8000 (so no Zander, LX or whatever expensive system)
http://www.soaringspot.com/t2dgp/results/mixed/total/day1.html
http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=2474975
Thanks guys! 3.1E rocks!
|
Marco
BU (PH-588)
Mini Nimbus HS7, s/n 039
http://www.zweef.nl/
Zweefvliegclub Den Helder, NETHERLANDS |
|
|
|
Enders13
Pulcino
United Kingdom
49 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 22:51:14
|
quote:
Originally posted by Coolwind
The Axim is slow, change for a faster device and slow response will be halved!
That aint gonna happen until a better sunlight readable screen comes along, I'm patiently waiting, the Axim is still the best IMO no back light and I can read it always, battery lasting 12 hours easy.
But thanks for replying, it worked today fine in flight so I'm still ok for now on my slow paraglider  |
|
|
|
xcmaro
Pulcino
Poland
5 Posts |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 12:57:54
|
Extend Acknowledge time for airspaces from 120 seconds to 720 seconds (12 hours). What does that mean, guys? 720 seconds isn't 12 hours, is it? Sorry, but I''m a newbie to LK. |
Maro |
|
|
|
mwm
Pulcino
45 Posts |
Posted - 16/06/2012 : 19:02:15
|
quote:
Originally posted by xcmaro
Extend Acknowledge time for airspaces from 120 seconds to 720 seconds (12 hours). What does that mean, guys? 720 seconds isn't 12 hours, is it? Sorry, but I''m a newbie to LK.
It's a typo and should read 720 minutes. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Beta version 3.1e available